ITD Update 21/06/07

[Guest guest]

" It's Their Destiny "

 

News items on Asian animal abuse

 

21st June 2007

EU Dog and Cat Fur Ban - a Closer Look

 

Dear Friends

 

Thanks to all of you who wrote to your MEPs

and all of you non-Europeans who contacted other EU officials, we shall

shortly see an end to the sickening trade in dog and cat fur in Europe.

Again proof that letters and emails can work!

 

Most of you will already have heard the news

from other sources, but behind the often conflicting and confusing reports,

what are the facts?

 

Firstly, the gaping loophole that would have

permitted the trade in fur from cats and dogs not " specifically " killed for

their fur HAS BEEN CLOSED.

 

The Committee on Internal Trade had also

wanted to expand the definition of dog to include " raccoon dogs " , wild dogs

unrelated to raccoons but named after them due to their thick coats. Despite

current moves in the USA to extend their own ban to cover these animals,

this was ignored and only cats and " the subspecies canis lupus familiaris " ,

i.e. domestic dogs, were given protection.

 

The text voted on by the European Parliament

on 19th June was the " first reading " , meaning that it will now go back to

the Commission for their approval. The Commission will almost certainly pass

this as it stands, giving the individual member countries until the end of

next year to pass relevant legislation at national level to comply with it.

For the next 18 months until 1st January 2009 however, cat and dog fur will

still be legally sold within the EU and the Chinese fur producers will be

trying to export as much as they possibly can before that deadline.

 

After 1st January 2009 there should be no more

imports of cat or dog fur into the EU, but of course it will fall upon the

individual member nations to enforce this. China's outlet for these products

will be considerably diminished yet unfortunately not enough to stamp out

the trade. Apart from China's own internal market of 1.3 billion buyers,

there are many other countries that will continue to welcome them.

 

Although it hasn't ended it, the EU ban has

certainly dealt the cat and dog fur trade a severe blow. We must never

forget however the suffering that all victims of the fur trade endure. None

of us can guess at the numbers of rabbits that are also skinned alive each

year in China. And " raccoon dog " fur will still be legal in the EU.

 

The full text adopted by the Parliament can be

seen at

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2007-0\

260+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN & language=EN

 

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Our continued thanks for your support and for

caring enough to want to make a difference.

 

From all the team at ITD

 

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